#22 North Sydney, Nova Scotia
The drive from
Linwood Harbor to Bras D’Or (Arm of Gold) took us up Trans Canada 105 near Cape
Breton.
Large signboards announce the area through
which you are traveling. I found them fascinating.
This tiny community lies west of North
Sydney. The Arm of Gold RV Park claims
to be the closest one to the Newfoundland Ferry Terminal. I reserved three nights here in case we had
any emergencies that delayed us, and time to check our supplies before going
into Newfoundland. However, even with a
couple of surprises the schedule continues to be accurate.
The Arm of Gold RV Park handles thousands of
people a season coming and going to Newfoundland. The park itself shines with bright white
buildings, colorful flowers and inviting décor.
It shouts that everything here is well cared for and maintained.
120137 102210
After setting up we headed into North Sydney looking for a bank to get
Canadian money. Very little occupies the
downtown area except the ferries and some boat works.
Marine Atlantic operates three ferries that run between North Sydney,
Nova Scotia and two ports on Newfoundland.
We did find a hole-in-the-wall
restaurant for lunch. The waiter, cook
and cashier were all the same person.
But the food satisfied us. Next we went in search of a laundromat and
grocery store. Modern grocery stores
and familiar other stores were found near the top of the hill.
The laundromat in North Sydney looked iffy so we drove into the town of
Sydney. Most laundromats only had a few
machines, and none said come wash your clothes here. So we decided to use the well cared for four
machines at the park. Lynn got up early
and used all four. We went later and
shared with others. It took all day to
do 4 loads in the laundry room and 2 more loads in the RV.
However we did see this eagle perched on the power line.
Fields of lupine make a colorful showing along the roads. We see it in Newfoundland too.
Who knew this sleepy little port town could provide 5 star dining? Jay asked locals where to eat and they said
The Lobster Pound and Moore. They open
just a few days a week. We called for
dinner reservations to find we could have the last 5 o’clock table. When they opened at 5:00 pm, all 9 or 10
tables trooped in. Our table had been
assigned. Each place setting arrived in these cute holders. The quirky chef, in his white coat and green
ski cap obviously ran the restaurant. He
continually checked on things, since this was only their fourth day in this
location.
The three waitresses moved in constant motion with smiles and a great
sense of humor. The classy décor
provided a wonderful ambiance to our visit.
Some leftovers are put into foil swans.
Out the window one of the big ferries was being moved.
For dinner, Derrille chose a chicken pot pie. It appeared to be like warm potato salad
with chicken chunks. The topping was a
square of puffed pastry.
Jay chose blackened haddock. It
came with some spicy kick!
Lynn chose a whole lobster. One
of her favorites!
I chose the Fish Trio. My
dish included a strip of salmon, two haddock pieces and two lobster claws. Even the rice and
vegetables were perfect.
Sometimes when you dine
out, the quality of the food on your plate may vary. For this meal: everything was cooked to
perfection and tasted incredibly good!
The food was so good we splurged on dessert. We hope to dine here again when we return
from Newfoundland.
Our last day here we
visited the grocery store and Walmart.
Do you know that Cheez-its are
not in Canadian grocery stores?
Derrille also looked for ICE, his flavored water which sells for 88
cents or $1 in the states, up here is $1.50 per bottle. He says he will live without it. Completing our Walmart shopping we chose to
use the self-checkout. Surprise! Their self-checkouts only take cards….no
cash. To use cash you have to go to the clerk for this section.
We packed our carry-on bags for 7 hours on the ferry since you cannot
return to the rig during the crossing.
We are ready for the boat!
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